Adrian Zaugg shrugged off a lack of testing to score twice on his return to the World Series by Renault with the Interwetten Racing team.

Having been confirmed to the Austrian concern on the eve of the event, Zaugg arrived at the Circuit de Catalunya having not driven the World Series machine since 2006 when he competed in a handful of races for Carlin Motorsport.

Struggling initially to qualify down in 22nd position, Zaugg nonetheless showed impressive pace over a longer distance, rising 12 positions in a fairly uneventful race one to snatch the tenth and final point.

Even better was to follow in race two, Zaugg proving one of a few drivers to delay their mandatory pit-stop in the hope that rain would arrive to play into their hands.

When the heavens did eventually open, Zaugg returned to the circuit in second position, although his hopes of a podium finish were scuppered by an error that would drop him to an eventual fifth place finish.

Nonetheless, with two points finishes having had no testing at all prior to the opening weekend, the South African A1 GP race winner was delighted with his showing.

“I am really thankful to my team for their great strategy and the perfect pit stops“, he said. “Unfortunately, I dropped back to the fifth place due to two braking mistakes brought on by my own fault.

“I've never had a rain test with a World Series car. It was tough to experience something like that during the race but I got used to the situation and tested the car to the borderline without risking to lose the car.”

Team-mate Mihai Marinescu made his World Series by Renault debut with a 13th place finish in the second race.